You've been skipping the winter part & now you are stuck
You’ve probably been told your metabolism slowed down because you got older (my doctors started telling me this in my mid 30's 😓). and that you need more willpower… fewer carbs… harder workouts… more supplements.
What if the real problem is that your biology thinks it's July year round?
Modern life has completely disconnected us from the seasonal rhythms that once shaped our metabolism, hormones, and mitochondria.
We live in climate-controlled homes. We eat tropical foods in January. We work past sunset under blue light in the middle of the winter, and we wonder why our bodies feel like they’re short-circuiting.
In other words - we have created a world where it’s always summer…And our biology is paying the price big time.
☀️ In summer this is what happens to support your physiology:
More daylight = earlier cortisol spike
More UV light = increased α-MSH (melanocyte-stimulating hormone), which boosts fat oxidation and appetite regulation
Leptin sensitivity improves - making your body better at telling when you’re full
Melatonin declines, which supports more activity and movement
Greater carb tolerance and glucose disposal capacity, thanks to enhanced insulin signaling from natural light exposure
🌑 In winter this is what happens to support your physiology:
Mitochondria shift into repair mode, upregulating stress resilience and fat storage for survival [5]
This seasonal rhythm supports metabolic flexibility - the ability to shift between fuel sources, regulate hunger, and adapt to changing environmental conditions.
Summer vs Winter.....how we get "trapped"
Don't get me wrong - I absolutely LOVE my modern conveniences, but I know how to mitigate my environment year round to support my metabolism & hormones.
The modern world is full of:
Constant blue light and artificial stimulation
Year-round fruit, sugar, and smoothies
Climate-controlled homes (no real cold, no real dark)
Late nights, early alarms, and skipped circadian cues
Never-ending cortisol from overstimulation and under-recovery
Unfortunately - We’ve flattened the seasonal curve, and most people are living in perpetual summer - while their bodies really need winter (more rest & repair).
What happens when your body never gets a metabolic winter?
You enter a state of biological confusion.
Leptin resistance creeps in
Thyroid output slows
Fat oxidation stalls
Dopamine signaling gets dysregulated (cue cravings and reward-seeking)
Melatonin never fully peaks
Inflammation rises
Autophagy and mitochondrial renewal get skipped
You don’t need more protein shakes or supplements, but you probably need a metabolic winter.
This doesn’t mean starving yourself or taking cold plunges every day. It means supporting your body’s natural seasonality with nutrition - light cues & sleep.
What most people don't understand is that true metabolic health includes knowing when to go hard and when to pull back and reset (this is a skill you can learn - but it does take some education & reconnection with intuition).
How do you know if you need a "winter reset"?
You might feel:
Puffy
Wired and tired
Reliant on caffeine and willpower
Inflamed, achy, or “off”
Resistant to workouts or fasting
Like your metabolism just doesn’t respond the way it used to
Honestly - it doesn't matter where you live - (I have many people who live in tropical regions that are in need of a Winter Reset).
If the symptoms match up - it might be time to make some changes!
Ceglia, L. et al. (2014). “Circannual rhythm of alpha-MSH in humans: implications for seasonal fat metabolism.” J Endocrinol Invest.
Friedman, J. (2019). “Leptin and the endocrine control of energy balance.” Nature Metabolism.
Buxton, O. et al. (2012). “Adverse metabolic consequences in humans of prolonged sleep restriction combined with circadian disruption.” Science Translational Medicine.
Hardeland, R. (2005). “Antioxidative protection by melatonin: multiplicity of mechanisms from radical detoxification to radical avoidance.” Endocrine.
Hood, D. A. et al. (2019). “Mitochondrial function and seasonal energy demands in mammals.” Journal of Experimental Biology.
Panda, S. (2016). “Circadian physiology of metabolism.” Science.
Dyar, K. A., et al. (2014). “Atlas of circadian metabolism reveals system-wide coordination and communication.” Cell.
